


Firsts (But Certainly Not Lasts)

by SpookyFey



Series: It's a Baby (Not a Food) [3]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Baby Pilot's Firsts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Steps, First birthday, Firsts, I love Jenna so much, It's not a joke kids, M/M, Postpartum Depression, We're getting to another first later, What could it be, but we have some fluff, first word, it hurts, no beta we die like men, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 03:13:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17800037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookyFey/pseuds/SpookyFey
Summary: We're celebrating some firsts for Baby Pilot...First Steps. First Words. First Birthday.We're celebrating a first for Joshua, too.





	Firsts (But Certainly Not Lasts)

**Author's Note:**

> I have nothing to say? Wow, that's a first for me.
> 
> Read on, frens!

Josh was stretched out on the floor, chin resting on his arms, grinning at little Ruby. The now six-month-old little girl was wiggling and squirming, having a blast with her Spooky. He made faces that made her squeal and giggle, her tiny hands grabbing at his nose or his vibrant pink locks. They learned early on that Josh couldn’t wear his nose ring for a little while when Ruby nearly ripped it out.

The drummer buried his face into his arms, asking, “Where’d Ruby go?” She giggled, tugging on his hair until he looked up. “There’s my baby girl!” Another round of giggles that made his heart flutter with happiness. He unfolded his arms, hands creeping forward towards the baby. She screeched at him as she squirmed and he laughed as she dissolved into a giggling mess, his fingers lightly squishing into her ribs.

“You’re such a silly girl, Ruby,” He murmured as he inched closer to her, brushing their noses together. She gurgled and grabbed into his wrists, catching onto a couple of the bracelets. Her attention now on the vibrant colors and patterns. “I love you so much, baby girl.”

Ruby hummed as she wiggled her tiny body. The drummer nuzzled her cheek, kissing her temple, but she didn’t have a care in the world. All that mattered was the bracelet on Josh’s wrist. It was pretty and entertaining. He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment. Just knowing his little girl was by side and all was okay. Her little coos and gurgling were a comfort.

Playtime was cut a little short when they both looked up at the sound of the front door opening. Josh gently pried her little fingers off his wrist and pushed himself onto his feet, grinning at her, “Stay here, baby girl. Spooky’s gonna go say hi to daddy.”

Ruby’s eyes lit up as she watched him walk away. There was that word again. She knew that word, well, a little. That word was said a lot when the one who made pretty sounds was around. She whined, hoping that someone would hear her. That usually made people appear.

“Ugh!” She groaned as she squirmed, inching her body forward, disliking that no one was coming and that she couldn’t move faster. Ruby really wanted to see the one who made pretty sounds. That usually meant it was time for cuddles or it was time for something delicious. “Ugh!”

Her cries got louder and louder, but still nothing. She was getting frustrated. Nobody was coming. Someone usually came by now and picked her up. Not even the one who made faces and had soft hair to pull. Streams of tears trickled down her cheeks. She didn’t like being wet. So, she made one last effort and screamed,

“Da!”

A loud sound echoed in the suddenly silent house and it scared her. She screamed again, “Da!” And just like that, the one who made pretty sounds appeared. The one with soft hair was right behind him. They were both making a funny face but Ruby was in no mood to laugh. She was angry and upset and wet. “Da!”

From a more adult point of view, Tyler was floored. His hands covered his mouth, as he listened to his daughter yell. He sank to his knees and scooped her up off the floor, cradling her close. Her tiny hands grasping onto his shirt as she trembled against him. “Josh, did you hear her?” He asked, wanting to know that this was no dream. “She said her first word!”

Josh was grinning like a maniac, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he pulled his phone out and crouching down, urging his daughter, “Say ‘da’, baby girl. Come on, I know you can do it.”

Ruby blinked, looking up at the one who made pretty sounds. He smiled at her and that made her giggle. “Da,” She squealed as she tried wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Hugs were always nice and she wanted one. Being held close always made her feel good. “Da!”

“I can’t. I just can’t right now,” Tyler murmured as he kissed Ruby’s head over and over. It was hard to contain the tears from his excitement. “My baby girl’s first word. She knows who I am!”

The drummer was all smiles as he stopped recording. He would have posted it to social media but chose to send it to their families instead. The responses were immediate. They were all proud of the little girl. No one was more proud than Tyler obviously. Josh snapped a quick picture of his fiance and their daughter, foreheads pressed together as she continued to squeal her new favorite word. That was shared with Twitter.

**Ruby knows who @tylerrjoseph is. She called him ‘da’**   
**#firstwords #happiestda #myfavoritepeople**

He tucked the device away in favor of joining his family on the floor, leaning against Tyler’s shoulder. He was so happy that Ruby had the same bright reddish hair his sisters had. Her eyes were still bright blue, but Dr. Zhen said her true eye color probably wouldn’t show until she was about a year old. “Just remember boys, two brown eyed people can make a blue-eyed baby,” She told them with a grin.

Jenna had been with them during that visit and she had prayed little Ruby’s eyes would stay blue, claiming she felt out of place with her bright eyes. They both knew Jenna would love this little girl no matter her eye color, though. They all would.

Tyler’s voice brought him back. “We need to teach her how to say Spooky,” he insisted. The drummer shook his head.

“Give her time. She’ll learn eventually,” Josh murmured, kissing Tyler’s shoulder. “Enjoy your moment, da. You're her first word.”

**< ><><>**

It was Christmas Eve.

The boys could hardly believe the chilly holiday was upon once more, but no one was more excited than them. The couple had talked about Ruby’s first gifts all week long; what would be appropriate and what was just way over the top. They got into contact with their families, discussing who would get what to avoid doubles and a plan had been put in to place.

Tyler was the first to stir from his slumber this morning. Pastel pink hair had tickled his nose, making it itch, but that didn’t stop him from burying his face into the messy mop of curls. “You awake, J?” he murmured softly with a slight rasp. The drummer stirred. “Come on, time to get up, darling. You know Ruby’s going to wake up soon.” He kissed the pink curls.

Almost as if the walls were paper thin, whimpering and crying came pouring out from the monitor sitting on the little table on Josh’s side of the bed. Josh was more alert now, breaking free from his fiance’s grip to stretch out. “I can get her if you want,” Tyler offered as he ran a hand down the expanse of Josh’s back. It earned him a moan and a little shiver.

“No, I can get her. If I don’t get up now, I’m not going to want to later,” he confessed with a sleepy grin as he searched for a pair of pants. Instead, he found Tyler’s and pulled them, thankful for their warmth. The singer watched his lover retreat from the room and closed his eyes, listening in.

“Good morning, princess! Look at my big girl standing up in her crib!”

He listened to the soft squeals of delight and little coos that Ruby produced as Josh talked to her. “How about we change that wet diaper, huh? I know you hate being wet,” the drummer said in a sympathetic tone, “Oh yeah, I can already see the tears and squirming. I know, baby girl.”

Tyler chuckled. Of course, Josh had taken to changing diapers like a pro despite the depression. He was so proud of the punk for wanting to get better and not giving in to the demons that wanted to pull him from his daughter. A more high pitched squeal pulled Tyler from his thoughts. Curiosity got the best of him as he rolled out of bed, grabbing another pair of pants from his dresser and heading out to Ruby’s room.

It was spacious, once a place for Josh’s electric drum set and a desk that Tyler once used for writing. All of that had been moved to a downstairs room. The walls that were once a God awful beige were now painted yellow and the carpet was pastel pink. One would think these two things wouldn’t fit, but they did. It matched Ruby’s personality perfectly. Their sunshiny princess.

Josh was standing in the center of the room with Ruby cradled in his arms. He was whispering to her and she looked so content, staring at him with her electric blue eyes. The drummer noticed Tyler standing in the door and grinned, murmuring, “Who’s that Ruby?” Josh turned a little so the girl could see her daddy. She let out a little sound similar to a gasp.

“Da!” She was squirming now. He placed her down on the floor and started to crawl towards Tyler. “There she goes,” Josh joked as he watched her wiggle. The singer crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet as he wiggled his fingers at Ruby.

“Hey, baby pilot. You coming to see daddy?” He asked her in a soft tone. She giggled and came to an automatic stop just a couple feet away. The duo watched her. This was new. She started to lift her left up then her right. Tyler snorted at the downward facing dog pose. “Yoga for babies?”

Josh laughed, “What are you doing, silly girl?”

That’s when it happened again. Ruby pushed herself up onto her own two feet. It was nothing new. It had been happening for the past week or so, but she always fell. It had been funny when she fell onto her bum after a diaper change and a white cloud of powder would just appear after impact. The boys had a great laugh over it.

“What are we trying today, hmm?” Tyler inquired as he motioned her closer. “Come here, darling. Daddy wants to see his baby pilot.” Ruby giggled and took a step forward. Then another and another. “Oh… Oh my, Josh! Josh, look at her!”

“Dude, she’s walking!” Josh clapped his hands, dancing on the balls of his feet. As soon as it started, it came to an end as she fell onto her bottom. She looked at Tyler, pouting, almost as if she were asking what the heck had happened.

“Baby girl, that was so amazing!” Tyler scooped her up into his arms, nuzzling her temple. “Daddy and Spooky are so proud of you, Ruby!” Josh peppered her chubby cheek with kisses.

Later in the day, after a messy breakfast and a bath, Josh was walking around the living with Ruby clinging to his fingers. She was having a blast. Tyler sent a little video clip to the mothers, of course.

**Tyler**   
_Ruby started walking this morning!_   
_Josh is helping her now._

**From: Mama Joseph**   
_Oh, look at my little girl go! So proud of her!_

**From: Mama Dun**   
_Don’t let Josh wear her out. Jordan’s on his way! hahaha_

**< ><><>**

Tyler was sitting in the living room with a proud smile on his face as he scrolled through his phone. Every now and again, he’d click on a picture to bring it into full view. He had his favorites, but honestly, he loved every photo he had of Ruby. There was one that was definitely on the top of his list.

Ruby was sprawled out on the grass in their backyard with a huge smile on her face, some of her milky white teeth showing. She had her skeleton hoodie, the hood just a little too big, covering part of her face. Josh was next to her in his skeleton hoodie, the hood pulled up, but left the zipper undone. His Dun grin in place, scrunching up the corners of his eyes. Ruby had that same look.

It was hard to believe so much time had already flown by. He had woken up thinking it was the first day they brought her home, but when he retrieved her from her crib she shouted, “Birthday!”

Yeah, today was her first birthday. I can’t believe it, the singer thought as he put his phone down on his chest. My baby is a year old now. Holy frick.

He recalled panicking with Josh during breakfast. The idea of chocolate had been thrown out immediately, so Kelly and Laura promised to come up with a lovely vanilla cake. A chocolate one would be made for the adults. She was a year old, so they could have a bit more fun with toys and clothes now. Michael already promised he had ordered another hoodie for her and a new surprise that Josh had no idea about.

Now, it was later in the afternoon. People were here. A decent pile of gifts was sitting in his living room. All of them were wrapped in beautiful paper, some topped with bright bows and cards were attached.

“Tyler?” The singer looked up at the call of his name and smiled when he saw it was Josh. The drummer was standing there looking a little embarrassed as he held Ruby. She was curled up against his chest, clinging tight to his shirt with one hand as the other hand played with the necklace around his neck. Tyler stood up, laughing when he saw her outfit. Black leggings with skeleton bones, a pastel green skirt and a shirt with a cartoon UFO on it that said ‘I’m Outta this World’.

“Best of both worlds, huh?” Tyler wrapped an arm around Josh’s shoulder. The punk nodded. “She looks adorable, babe. Cutest baby ever. Too bad it’s only going to get dirty in about five minutes.”

“Oh, mom already took pictures of her outfit. She caught me coming down the stairs,” Josh assured his fiance. “Are we ready for this mess?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready, but for her, I will be. Besides, mom made us an Oreo cheesecake to celebrate us making it through the year,” Tyler cooed as he kissed Ruby’s forehead. “Yeah, we all stayed alive, huh?” She released the necklace in favor of grabbing a handful of fluffy locks.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Tyler scooped her out of Josh’s arms and carried her away into the kitchen with Josh close behind. Their little princess crying out “Birthday” along the way.

Friends and family were all surrounding the table, smiling and greeting the birthday girl. She squealed and waved, sometimes shying away when she saw someone she hadn’t seen in a long time. She fussed a little bit when Tyler started to put the bib on her but it stopped when the lights were dimmed and the singing started. Kelly came in carrying the cake. Frosted pink and Ruby’s name in yellow. In the center was a single candle. Jordan had managed to find candles with a flame that burned pink. So, of course, they used it.

Ruby squealed as it was placed in front of her. “Does Spooky want to help her out with the candle?” Kelly asked with a smile. Josh nodded and knelt down next to Ruby. “Watch Spooky, sweetie.”

Josh gently blew on the flame to make it flicker. Ruby squealed with delight so he did it again. After the third time, Ruby copied him and the little pink flame was snuffed out. The lights came back on as the crowd cheered. Nick, who Tyler was so pleased to see, handed Ruby a fork and showed her it was for the cake. In turn, she used it to paint his cheek with pink frosting.

“Oh yeah, this is definitely your kid, man,” Nick barked out between laughs. It wasn’t often he saw his friends, but he was ecstatic when they said they could make it for Ruby’s first birthday. “Chris, come on over! Ruby’s sharing her cake!” Chris hugged Josh once more before heading over, accepting the fated splat of pink frosting against his nose.

Tyler snickered, motioning for Mark to take pictures of the moment so he could talk to Josh. He kissed the drummer’s lips gently, whispering against them, “You alright? You seem off today.”

He wrapped his arms around himself but didn’t step back, telling Tyler, “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Go hang out with Chris and Nick. You don’t see them often. I’m gonna… go help mom with gifts.” Tyler could only watch as the drummer disappeared into the crowd of people.

“Is Josh alright?” Madison asked as she approached her brother with a telltale smear of pink on her cheek. Ruby had claimed another victim. He shrugged, not really knowing how to answer. “Hey, I know he’s been depressed, but don’t let it get you too. He’s probably just having a tough time. I’ll find Jenna and we’ll talk to him.”

Josh didn’t find his mom. The presents were stacked a little neater, though, so she had been here earlier. A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders. “Hey, JD,” Jenna murmured into his ear. “You alright?”

“I don’t know. I should be happy, yeah? It’s Ruby’s first birthday and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want to be happy but it feels like something is stopping me,” he moped, hating this helpless feeling. “I’m engaged to the man I love. My daughter is happy. I just want to be happy, too! I hate to ask, but I need help, please.”

Madison appeared in his line of sight, not saying anything. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. He returned the hug as he sank a little further against Jenna. More arms wrapped around him. It was Zack. “Dude, we can’t expect a miracle, but be proud of yourself today. You survived the year,” he stated firmly.

“We’re all here for you, J,” Maidson assured him, leaning up to kiss the bridge of his nose. “You’ve got so much family and so many friends to support you. We won’t let you fall.”

“We’re celebrating a first for you, darling.” Jenna kissed the back of his head. “You not only survived a year, but this is the first time you’ve asked us for help. That’s a great step and we’re happy to help you with anything.”

Josh just sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying his personal moment. Today was about Ruby, but he was so grateful his family and friends could see when he just needed a small break. Little did he know, Tyler had witnessed it as well. The singer snapped a picture and hoped to show it to Joshua one day, just to prove he was never alone.


End file.
